Dreaming Up Nightmares
= Universal Orlando Shops Take 12 Months To Produce 19 Nights Of Horror. = September 23, 2006|By Scott Powers Orlando Sentinel Start with about 1,000 actors, then ponder their roles, and you might get a sense of what Universal Orlando's makeup and prosthetics shop has to deal with every fall. They need wigs, fake teeth, masks and makeup jobs by the hundreds, and many of them are not reusable from one night to the next. A few need fake arms and legs. A couple of actors even get fake abdomens, so that their bodies can be cut open, exposing organs. "And it's got to be something that looks good from a few feet away," said makeup and prosthetics supervisor Michael Burnett. Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, one of the world's largest and most elaborate scare-fests, lasts only 19 nights. But it's nearly a 12-month production that can take about 80 percent of the annual workload of Universal's entertainment art and design team, said that group's director, T.J. Mannarino. The after-hours, ticketed fest, which runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 31, is one of Universal's biggest cash machines and the resort's biggest signature event. Standard tickets cost $59.95, though there are Florida and other discounts. The event, the 16th, celebrates the theme "Sweet Sixteen." Universal is bringing back and updating seven past haunted houses and a few popular characters. Scream House will be back from 2002. So will Dungeon of Terror, first held in the Jaws ride queue line in 1991. Jack the Clown, the Storyteller and Hellraiser all return. "We've ripped out and done a grave rob of the last 15 years," Mannarino said. Universal officials won't release attendance figures for the affair. But they openly acknowledge it's critical to the resort's bottom line. Universal's normal daily attendance has slipped the past two years. And October, without Halloween shows, is traditionally one of the slowest months of the year for theme parks. Leonard Pickel, editor of Haunted Attraction Magazine, said it's likely Universal will draw more than 300,000 people for the 19-night event. That would be a nightly pace consistent with what Universal's theme parks average for regular daily attendance. Nationally, Halloween events are becoming increasingly popular. Busch Gardens in Tampa has a comparable show, and both SeaWorld and Walt Disney World have less-frightening shows to draw October crowds. Earlier this week, Universal edged out Knott's Berry Farm in California in voting for the nation's best Halloween show, in Amusement Today's annual "Golden Ticket Awards." Knott's won last year. Mannarino said one of Universal's edges comes from a heavy reliance on actors, rather than robots or special effects. "The scares truly come from the performers," he said. "They can be relentless, or they can be subtle, and you can't get that from technology." Hundreds more plan, build and run Universal's haunted houses, outdoor show areas and other activities. Makeup and prosthetics alone require 60 people. Brainstorming begins in November, and by January the design team is locking in themes and ideas, Mannarino said. Construction starts in June. Perhaps more than any other theme park, Pickel said, Universal relies heavily on focus groups and surveys to explore what scares people, then builds stories around them. Pickel said that Universal's emphasis on background stories also sets it apart. "Stephen King said a house cannot be haunted unless it has a history," Pickel said. "So you bring in the story line. There's got to be a reason behind that or you lose the entertainment. Universal Studios does a really incredible job with their in-depth story lines." IF YOU GO Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, one of the world's largest and most elaborate scare-fests, runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 31. Standard tickets cost $59.95. Category:Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 Category:Halloween Horror Nights article